Reel in Flavor, Fun at Crab Bucket

October 27, 2013

Story By: Kyle Galdeira | Photos by: Leah Friel

With a family-friendly atmosphere, excellent customer service and enthralling interactive dining experiences served daily, Crab Bucket is quickly becoming the go-to spot for succulent seafood and Southern-style cuisine.

The former owners of Kickin’ Kajun have reintroduced the popular seafood dining adventure featuring fresh shellfish, vegetables and zesty seasonings prepared in a large pot. The aptly named Crab Bucket is situated conveniently on Keeaumoku Street amid one of Oahu’s burgeoning culinary hotbeds.

General Manager David Hoang explains that Crab Bucket brings in fresh seafood daily, including crawfish, mussels, lobster, blue crab, snow crab, king crab and Dungeness crab (all available at market price). The menu is inspired by Cajun and Creole cooking, but also incorporates “Asian-style” flavors and preparation techniques.

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“It’s our own recipes, our own style and all with an Asian twist,” Hoang says. “We plan on offering catering options soon, so customers can stay tuned for more information on that.”

After just several weeks in business, customers are already raving about Crab Bucket’s offerings, including Baked Mussels (10 for $10) and Baked Dungeness Clusters (market price). Seafood Sampler ($15) also steals the show with an eclectic mix of calamari, shrimp, oysters, catfish and scallops.

Combo No. 1 ($45)

Baked Mussels (10 for $10)

Seafood Sampler ($15)

Beignet ($.50)

In addition to a la carte items, customers may indulge in bountiful combos including Combo No. 1 ($45). This combination offers snow crab, shrimp, crawfish and clams along with two corns on the cob, two pieces of potato, two pieces of sausage and two scoops of rice. As is the case with the full menu, diners may select from a variety of sauces, including house, garlic herb, original Louisiana (dry seasoning), “plain ‘n simple” and lemon pepper. Additionally, one may also select from varied levels of spice and heat, ranging from mild or medium to spicy, extra spicy or “fiyah.”

An assortment of Fried Buckets are also available for $12 apiece, and include choices of shrimp, chicken tenders, soft-shell crab, fried alligator, crawfish tails and many more along with a plentiful portion of French fries. Assorted side dishes are also available to supplement one’s meal, including delectable deep-fried beignets (50 cents apiece), potatoes (three for $1) and sausage (six for $4, 12 for $7).

“We have a great selection of combos and seafood available a la carte, and our fries even come in all sorts, from sweet potato to garlic, Cajun or Parmesan flavored,” Hoang says.

Crab Bucket has “gone green,” and serves its seafood, combo choices and fried buckets without environmentally taxing plastic bags. Instead, customers dig in to their desired dishes and discard shells and other waste into a convenient bucket situated in the middle of the table — a process that reduces stress and the mess associated with a hands-on meal.

“We eliminated all the large paper, Styrofoam cups and plastic bags and what we have now is builtin buckets in the center so table space is maximized,” Hoang says. “A lot of customers are concerned about the environment, so we decided to go green.”

As a special scoop for Dining Out readers, diners may enjoy 10 percent off their bill by simply checking in at Crab Bucket on Yelp upon each visit through October. One would be advised to check in prior to digging in to the flavorful food, however, as the finger-licking fun may hinder smart phone operations.